Archives
2020 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2020)
Given the considerable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human health and the global economy, this year’s meeting convened on the originally planned dates but was held virtually. The agenda was adjusted to focus on the potential impact of the pandemic on implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Soils as Keystone for Food Security and Ecosystem Restoration
Virtual event discusses role of smallholder farmers in promoting land restoration activities, with subsessions on: soils and the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration; soil organic carbon, and how smallholder farming communities benefit from carbon sequestration projects; and measuring progress on gender and land tenure.
58th Meeting of the GEF Council
The Global Environment Facility Council's 58th meeting appointed a new CEO and Chairperson. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Costa Rica's Environment and Energy Minister, will lead the GEF, with Naoko Ishii leaving after eight years. The GEF Council also agreed a work program with resources totaling USD 645.4 million. The GEF Council met online for the first time due to COVID-19.
June Momentum for Climate Change
While a face-to-face meeting was impossible, the UNFCCC held a series of virtual events to keep climate action and momentum alive. Several events related to the work of the constituted bodies, which are the bodies that focus on implementing various aspects of the Convention and the Paris Agreement. These technical bodies provided updates on their work and future plans.
11th Meeting of the Monaco Blue Initiative
The 11th meeting of the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) convened for its first-ever digital edition under the presidency of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. The workshops were held with the objective of maintaining momentum on global discussions on oceans, and articulate key recommendations to important global ocean meetings, many of which have also been affected by the global pandemic.
Innovating Climate Change Adaptation through Agroecology
The consultations, organized by the Berlin-based think tank for sustainability, TMG Research, took place virtually over the course of three days to discuss and further develop a paper with key messages on agroecology as a systemic approach to climate change adaptation for food security and rural livelihoods.
Informal Consultations of the 44th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (Beijing+5 PrepCom)
The PrepCom for Beijing+5 reconvened on Wednesday, 24 May 2020, to continue discussing the proposed outcome document (E/ CN.6/2000/PC/L.1/Rev.3), following negotiations from 28 February to 17 March , and intersessionals on 8, 9, 11, 15 and 16 May. From 24-26 May, Working Group I discussed Section II and Working Group II discussed Section IV. Of approximately 302 paragraphs, 58 have been agreed.
15th Session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF15)
The UN Forum on Forests was scheduled to convene from 4-8 May 2020 in New York but became yet another casualty of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of meeting in person, the Forum held virtual informal consultations and adopted an omnibus resolution that ensures continued progress on the UN forest agenda.
6th session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 2020)
The sixth session of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development discussed a selection of countries’ voluntary national reviews of the SDGs, as well as voluntary local reviews. Participants called for accelerated implementation of the SDGs, noting that most countries and partners are not on track to achieving the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. The Forum adopted a ministerial declaration as well as an outcome summary report and key messages containing Africa’s priorities and policy measures to speed up implementation of the two agendas.